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Mitsubishi Outlander set for March 6 unveiling at Geneva Motor Show

The new Mitsubishi Outlander will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show on March 6. (Photo Credit: CC BY-SA/Tokino/Wikipedia)

On March 6 at Switzerland’s Geneva Motor Show, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will reveal a redesigned Mitsubishi Outlander crossover, reports Automotive News. A series of new design touches will reflect “a gradual transformation in Mitsubishi’s design language,” note the automotive press.

Mitsubishi Outlander curls wide

Unlike previous Outlander models that sport a more aggressive, “jet fighter” style front grille, the new Mitsubishi Outlander takes a less confrontational, more curvaceous approach. The hood curls downward, resting flush with the headlamps. The grill is wide and thin, according to reports, more like a goldfish than a shark, notes Automotive News.

A statement issued by Mitsubishi noted that the Outlander will go on sale in Russia first this summer. Afterward, it will appear on sales floors in Europe, Japan, China, the U.S. and a series of other markets. A spokeswoman for the automaker said the Mitsubishi Outlander will not appear in the U.S. until 2013.

Mitsubishi hopes the redesigned Outlander will turn around the line’s sales fortunes. Last year, Mitsubishi sold 9,788 Outlanders in the U.S., a 22 percent drop from 2010.

Under the Outlander’s hood

On the European market, the Outlander will reportedly offer a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline or 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel engine. U.S. options for the Mitsubishi Outlander’s engine have not been confirmed, but sources within the automotive press believe that entry- and mid-level models will be powered by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder, while the deluxe Outlander GT package will include a 3.0-liter V6 with 230 hp.

In additional to the internal combustion models, Mitsubishi has noted that a plug-in hybrid version of the Outlander will appear later in the automaker’s 2012 fiscal year, which begins in April. This hybrid version of the Mitsubishi Outlander will also be held back from U.S. release until 2013, according to the automaker.

Hybrid heritage

A number of the new Mitsubishi Outlander’s stylistic cues are taken from its own PX-MiEV electric vehicle concept that has been seen at recent auto shows. Environmentally friendly fuel efficiency is a major focus with the new Outlander – as it it with all new cars – and the plug-in model of the crossover should underscore this even more.

The fully electric Outlander will resemble the PX-MiEV II concept that was revealed at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show, notes Green Car Reports. The EV version of the Outlander will reportedly use pre-existing EV technology from the PX-MiEV II, including the EV’s all-wheel-drive system. The operating range of around 500 miles should be improved somewhat in the Outlander, however.

Fuel efficiency in the new Mitsubishi Outlander will be aided by a much lighter, more aerodynamic body. Combined with Mitsubishi’s new “eco-friendly driving system,” the new Outlander will reportedly achieve maximum fuel efficiency available with current automotive technology.